The constitution of Japan illustrates that they aren’t allowed to have an army; in 2022, the Japanese Government spent $49 Billion on the Japanese Self-Defence Force (JSDF), a total of 1% of its GDP.
On 2nd September 1945, the emperor of Japan signed the country’s unconditional surrender, officially marking the end of World War II. As a consequence, Japan’s system of Government was redesigned to be more democratic under heavy supervision from the United States, which occupied the country till 1952. Article 9 of the new constitution even went so far as to state, “Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation”, and this demilitarisation lasted for six years. The US, “known” for its penchant for following its commitments and being a very peaceful country, ordered the Japanese Government to rearm itself, mainly as a ‘safety’ measure due to the ongoing Korean War. However, much like most international actions by the USA in the 50s, this was likely an effort to intimidate and deter the USSR, as the Korean War was also a proxy war between the USA and the USSR.
Calling the new Japanese Army the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces would only conjure up images of the brutal Pacific theatre – both for the Japanese ex-soldiers and their American occupiers – and as a result, the Japanese Self Defence Force was born. At the same time, the nomenclature of other positions in the armed forces also changed to reflect the new, softer image of the Japanese Army. For example, military officials’ ranks changed from Lieutenant and Colonel to numbers from one to three, the new word for Officers made them sound closer to government officials than army men, and destroyers became ‘defence escort vehicles.
While initially formed as a show of power for America, today, the JSDF has taken on diverse roles while still trying to maintain itself as a self-defence force. This is clearly reflected by the frequent self-defence drills the JSDF runs, usually as a joint exercise with other militaries, highlighting one of their primary functions – diplomacy. The JSDF has effectively been a tool to show off Japan’s diplomatic alliances. Whether it be on-ground exercises with the Indian Military or naval exercises with the American and Canadian navies, the JSDF is a strong show of Japan’s international relations. These have increased recently, owing to rising tensions in the East-China Sea, partly due to Kim-Jong-Un threatening to nuke Japan and China’s insistence on owning Taiwan.
It seems that today, despite being one of the world’s largest and well-funded militaries, the JSDF continues to hold on to its initial purpose as a show of force against Communist countries, despite the significant threats they face have changed.
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